Handling Child Custody and Divorce Issues During the Holidays
One of the biggest adjustments I find my clients have during a divorce or separation is how to handle holidays. Both parents are used to spending each holiday with the children, and cannot bear the thought of sharing or splitting the holidays with someone else. However it is an unfortunate reality of dividing your family. Here are a few tips to make it through the upcoming holidays while keeping your sanity intact and while (always!) putting your children first.
-Effectively communicate expectations. The other parents can’t know what days or times are most important to you if you don’t tell them.
-Share all of the times that you can with your children. You can both go to the Christmas pageant or Thanksgiving play. You may not be amicable enough to sit near each other, but you can both be there for your children.
- Give and take. Maybe your family gets together each Christmas Eve and that day is more important to you. Try to trade with your child’s other parent for a day that is important for them. No matter how much you dislike each other, maximizing family time with both families for your children is a goal.
- Remember what is most important to your children at all times. That is what matters.
- Remember that your former spouse is also a parent to these children. Just because the family dynamic has changed, it doesn’t make them a less valuable part of your children’s life.
-Each county has a proposed holiday schedule which divides the holidays pretty evenly if you cannot decide. You may want to consider discussing this with your children’s other parent if you simply cannot decide how to divide the holidays.
Sometimes this isn’t possible. If the other parent is uncooperative or not putting the needs of your children first, you may need the assistance of a skilled Family Law Lawyer to help you through the holiday parenting time. Contact our offices in Dearborn Michigan today to discuss your child custody and parenting time agreements if there are changes